Supporting high school transition with student mentors

Link Crew is a year-long, high school transition program developed by The Boomerang Project, a US based company. Recognizing that school transitions can be stressful and overwhelming for many students, the Boomerang Project focuses on peer mentorship as a success factor in helping students navigate these transitions. The goal of the Link Crew program is to facilitate academic and social success for first-year secondary students by having a peer mentor and role model who will provide the information and support needed to meet the challenges of adjusting to high school.

Link Crew provides the structure for first-year high school students to make real connections with and receive guidance from current students who have already experienced the challenges of transitioning to high school. High school students in grades 11 and 12 receive training to become Link Crew leaders, and are subsequently paired with incoming students who they mentor through the first year in structured and informal interactions, including orientation, structured classroom visits, social events, and leader-initiated individual meetings. Student leadership training is delivered by in-house facilitators, who are required to attend a three- day workshop.

Link Crew has been implemented in over 3000 schools, primarily in the US and Canada. Program schools have reported some reduction in absences, suspensions and disciplinary referrals.